Meta-analysis of creatine supplementation on muscle strength and power in different sports fields

Document Type : Meta-Analysis Article

Authors

Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran.

Abstract

Aim: This meta-analysis examines the effects of creatine supplementation on the physical performance of athletes across various sports.

Method: The study is a meta-analysis. Data were collected from databases such as PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of creatine on muscle strength and power were selected. Out of the searched articles, 28 studies (16 on muscle strength and 12 on muscle power) were included for final analysis. Data were analyzed using CMA software version 3.

Results: The results of the analyzed studies in this meta-analysis showed that creatine supplementation has a significant effect on muscle strength (ES=0.421, 95% CL=0.209; 0.633, P<0.001) and muscle power (ES=1.191, 95% CL=0.577; 1.812, P<0.001) in athletes across various sports. Subgroup analysis revealed that athletes who consumed a dose of 5-7 grams per day experienced a significant increase in muscle power compared to those who consumed less than 5 grams per day (ES=1.005, 95% CL=-0.671; 1.339, P≤0.001) versus (ES=1.071, 95% CL=-0.277; 1.865, P≤0.008).

Conclusion: Creatine supplementation improves muscle strength and power in athletes. The optimal dose is 5-7 grams per day, and absolute creatine intake (without considering body weight) has a greater impact than relative intake.

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Publisher: University of Kurdistan         Copyright © The Authors

This is an open access article distributed under the following Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

 

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Research in Exercise Nutrition
Volume 3, Issue 1
April 2024
Pages 36-15

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 January 2025
  • Revise Date: 07 February 2025
  • Accept Date: 10 February 2025
  • First Publish Date: 10 February 2025

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